Dannie's Daily Dose

Header

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Are you really hungry or are you just saying that you are? If you were really hungry would you drive pass restaurants and grocery stores, only to go home and rest? No, chances are if you're really hungry you're going to do something about it. Be it ordering take out, dining out, or preparing a meal when you get home. So with that being said why would you think nourishment and preparation would be any different for your business?

I meet so many entrepreneurs who state that they are hungry for success and achievement but yet they fail to do what it takes to end their so called hunger pains. As humans it's easy to get caught up in the world of " Once I do this... or Once I accomplish this then I will...." but truthfully all you're truly doing is attempting to buy time by placing limiting beliefs on yourself and your skills by creating excuses.

When I was in college, I learned a poem called "Excuses". Excuses are tools of the incompetent and those who use them build monuments to nowhere and seldom amount to anything. Although, the poem may appear to be harsh its true. Stop making up excuses on why you can't pursue your business whole heartly, why you can't attend a training seminar that will benefit you and your business, and why you can't sell your product or service. These responses and similiar ones are just limiting belief used as excuses. Limiting beliefs that you have attracted and adapted to your lifestyle because you fear success. You fear living debt free, you fear the happiness that you will feel once you accomplish your goal, you fear making a difference.

Start today, pack your bags and leave the world of " Once I do this..or Once I accomplish this then I will...." and relocate to the land of JUST DO IT.

How many times have you received a phone call or an email from a colleague that you recently met at a networking event expressing how interested they are in learning about your business? If you distribute business cards at events probably more than you'll like to admit. If you're a virginpreneur, you're so excited that someone is interested in learning about your business that you allow them to lead the conversation by providing you with 2 time slots to select from and the nearest Starbucks address to meet.

After you end the call, you're so excited that you have to share the great news that you have a one on one scheduled with a potential client. So, you go down your list and call or text your significant other, family members, and friends. After you spread the good news, you rehearse what you're going to say, how you're going to deliver it, and even envision what you're going to wear.

The day of your meeting is finally here. You wake up extra early and full of energy. The excitement that you're feeling reminds you of your first day of school when you were a child. You iron your clothes, shine your shoes, practice your script and watch the clock as the hours countdown. You even leave your house early enough that you have 15 extra minutes to recite your 60 second commercial, tag line, and brief description of all the services and products that you offer.

Ten minutes before your scheduled appointment you walk in Starbucks, look around to see if you identify any familiar faces, order a Grande Hot Chocolate, and grab a seat at the nearest available table awaiting for your appointment. He walks in and greets you with a handshake and notion toward the table that he thinks you're sitting at for clarity before he sits his portfolio down. He offers to purchase you a beverage knowing that you arrived a few minutes earlier and have already placed your order he attempts anyway to appear like a great guy.

He starts off by saying, " Thanks for meeting me I really appreciate it" then lingers into small talk. After about 2 minutes or so when you're all relaxed and ready to present your script to him that you've been rehearsing all week and all morning long he opens his portfolio and flips out a colorful binder and begins to tell you all about his business. He discusses the history, the products they offer, the compensation package and how his business opportunity complements what you're doing. He also tells you that he has meetings scheduled with your competitors but he wanted to give you the opportunity to take advantage of it first. Plus, his business idea is such an ideal match with your current business that you can just sell his products to your existing customers. He tells you this creates a win-win situation and if you don't take advantage of this opportunity you're really losing out. He even attempts to pull the substantial income game. Yes, I did call it a game. We all know it and some of us have used it or may still be using it in our business. Work part-time but receive full time compensation. So, you're sitting here ANNOYED! Thinking to yourself "Are you Serious". Yes, he is. To top the cake, he begins to rebuttal for every objection you have and then after rebuttal 3 he offers to give you 24 hours to sleep on it and then he'll followup. You agree but you have no intentions ever answering his phone call or replying back to his email AGAIN. You didn't even get a chance to mention your business not once, you paid for your own beverage, you wasted a perfectly good outfit, and he didn't even give you a referral.

Truthfully, the only person that you should be upset with is yourself. YES, yourself. Why? Because you failed to qualify that prospect before scheduling an appointment. Well, I didn't know that I was suppose to qualify my appointments. Yes, you should qualify every appointment and calculate your ROI for every networking function that you attend. If you are not protective of your time you can't expect for others to be.

When tables turn because they will, before scheduling a 1 on 1 with a potential client be sure to be honest about your appointment setting goal, know as much about them as possible, only recommend products and services that will fulfill THEIR need, and always compensate them for their time. Compensation could be given in the form of referrals, incentives, FREE marketing products and even relevant marketing/ business information.

Meetup Badge

Blog Archive

Herstory

Coming from very humble beginnings and a small inner city in Northwest Indiana, I grew up dreaming of the day that I could be my own boss. I remember being as young as 10, negotiating allowances, delegating chores, and bargaining punishments with the goal of creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Growing up in a close family circuit, I spent countless years surrounded by family entrepreneurs who were molding me then into the Womenpreneur that I am today.It was at the early age of 18,when I realized I had gained valuable experience and knowledge that would guide me down my path of entrepreneurship. Since then,I have bootstrapped 3 businesses,sold everything from cutlery to motors and obtained a few accolades along the way. My leadership, products, and advice are sought out by entrepreneurs across the globe. My unique ability has enabled my business to gain popularity and rapid growth. I have helped hundreds of people during my career and pride myself on my ability to find their “hidden treasures” while equipping them with tools to become a savvy entrepreneur.In 2010 and beyond,I am set to leave an indelible mark in the minds of entrepreneurs across the globe.